Tag: Andrew Gwynne

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has paid out in compensation to (a) internal and (b) external claimants in each year since 2010.

Karen Bradley

This information is not available, except at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office records all Special Payments (of which compensation is a type). However, we are not required to report whether the recipient is internal or external to the Department.

It is therefore not possible, from the data we have, to provide a compensation figure that separates out internal and external claimants.

Page 154 of the Home Office’s 2014/15 Annual Report and Accounts has a table that lists the total value and number of all Special Payments

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions his Department has had with burial authorities and other stakeholders on the reuse of graves.

Caroline Dinenage

The issue of burial space is regularly discussed at meetings of the Burial and Cremation Advisory Group, which is chaired by this department and comprises key stakeholders and representatives within government and the wider burial sector. In addition, the department regularly engages on the issue with individual stakeholders, as appropriate.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to reduce the amount of litter on Highways England’s road network; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones

Highways England, as a Government Owned Company, is responsible for complying with the mandatory legal requirements under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which includes removing litter on England’s motorways. Collecting litter puts road workers at risk and is a costly operation, so Highways England works collaboratively with a number of organisations to promote anti-litter campaigns.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to publish its childhood obesity strategy.

Jane Ellison

The Childhood Obesity Strategy will be launched in the summer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-03-17.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cheques have been drafted by government departments and executive agencies in each year since 2010.

Harriett Baldwin

HM Treasury does not hold this information. Each government department and executive agency will hold this information for their own bank accounts. Public sector organisations should follow guidelines set out in “Managing Public Money”. The key points within these guidelines are that public sector organisations should generally use the cheapest, safest and quickest means of moving public funds, depending on the context, and a hierarchy of money transmission services is provided.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in which instances embassies and high commissions in the UK have invoked the principle of diplomatic immunity in each of the last five years.

James Duddridge

Under Article 31 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State. He shall also enjoy immunity from its civil and administrative jurisdiction, except in limited circumstances specified in the Convention. Full statistics and details about instances when Embassies and High Commissions have invoked the principle of diplomatic immunity for the period specified are not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Such requests would cover instances where a member of the mission’s diplomatic or consular staff (or a member of their family forming part of their household) was the alleged offender, the alleged victim of a crime, or had witnessed a crime and police had sought a witness statement; or where police had sought witness statements from staff in relation to their official functions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report of Ofsted on its inspection of Audenshaw School Academy Trust which took place on 23 and 24 February 2016, if she will make an assessment of the effect on the students for whom pupil premium funding was intended of that funding being saved for a capital project.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The conditions of grant for the pupil premium make clear that its purpose is to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. School leaders are best placed to decide how to spend the pupil premium in line with this policy and the needs of their pupils. Schools are not prevented from using the pupil premium to fund capital projects or from carrying over funding between years.

The Department for Education supports schools to make evidence-based decisions through the work of the Education Endowment Foundation, established to identify and promote effective practice in raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. The Department does not monitor how Academies and maintained schools spend the pupil premium but instead holds them to account for the outcomes of eligible pupils through the publication of data in performance tables and Ofsted inspection.

Where concerns are raised about the performance of an academy then they are addressed by the Regional School Commissioner with responsibility for that area. The Department also takes seriously any concerns about the financial management of a school. We are aware of the findings of the Ofsted report on Audenshaw School relating to its use of the pupil premium, following an inspection in February 2016. We are also aware that the Hon. Member, Andrew Gwynne, has met the Regional Schools Commissioner for Lancashire and West Yorkshire, Vicky Beer, on a number of occasions to discuss his concerns about Audenshaw School Academy Trust. The Department has carefully reviewed all the information provided on this matter and has identified no grounds to take further action.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures are in place to ensure that alternative accommodation is found for people evicted from a care home.

Alistair Burt

Should a person have to leave a care home, the Care Act requires the local authority to carry out an assessment of their needs. The local authority must decide if the person has eligible needs by considering the outcomes they wish to achieve, what their needs are and how these impact on their wellbeing.

Where a person is assessed as having eligible care and support needs – for example, for care and support, public assistance with the cost of care, help with arranging care or information and advice – those needs must be met by their local authority.

For a person placed in residential care by a local authority, the authority would continue to have a duty to meet their needs and to arrange alternative care services. Should a person be able to fund their own care but lack capacity to arrange it, the local authority has powers under the Act to meet their needs.

Statutory guidance issued under the Care Act sets out when a local authority should use these powers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many services which have been approved by NHS England’s Clinical Priorities Advisory Group are planned for discussion at the NHS England prioritisation round in June.

George Freeman

The Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) will agree recommendations as to which proposals for new investments in specialised services should be considered by NHS England in the prioritisation round for 2016/17. CPAG is scheduled to meet between 6 and 9 June 2016.

NHS England is currently considering the outcome of a public consultation that it held between April and May 2016 on a proposed method for the relative prioritisation of new investments in specialised services. The consultation guide that it published described the proposed method and the types of data that would be considered. Many detailed submissions were made by respondents to consultation, and they will all be carefully considered. NHS England is expecting to make a decision on the eventual method that will be adopted for 2016/17 in May 2016.

The consultation guide can be found at the following address:

https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/investment-decisions/supporting_documents/consultationguide.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Gwynne on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to meet the (a) advice and advocacy and (b) psychosocial needs of people living with HIV in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham health authority area following implementation of the proposed reduction in specialist HIV support services.

Jane Ellison

Support services for people living with HIV are commissioned by local authorities.

We are advised by NHS England that the boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham are currently consulting on a new service model, under which advice and advocacy, counselling and assessment and signposting services for people living with HIV would be provided by local non-HIV specialist services.

We understand that the consultation exercise commenced on 9 May 2016 and is due to end on 28 June.